Heavenly Vanilla Spiced Oatmeal

By zindc • October 31, 2012 • 0 Comments

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Author Notes: This is my "aromatherapy" breakfast for the household on chilly days. I made it when my daughter brought some friends from college home for the weekend. One young guy told me that he had eaten a lot of oatmeal in his life, but had never had any as delicious. "It's like dessert" was the consensus. Sometimes I leave out the banana, and change up the kind of dried fruit, depending on what I have in the pantry. It can be made vegan by subbing water, almond milk and coconut milk for all of the liquid. - zindc

Serves 6-8

1 1/2 cup steel-cut oats
2 cups water
2 cups non-fat milk
1 cup almond milk
1 cup canned coconut milk
1 ripe banana, diced
1/2 vanilla bean, split
1 cinnamon stick
2 slices of ginger root, peeled
1/2 teaspoon cardamom, ground
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated
1/3 cup golden raisins, dried cherries, dried apricots, chopped
1"x3" slice of orange peel, without pith
1/4 teaspoon salt

In a heavy bottom saucepan, heat the water and milks.
Add the banana. Scrape out seeds from vanilla bean before adding the bean to the pot, and add the other spices, orange peel and salt.
When the liquid is at the boiling point, drizzle in the oatmeal, stirring constantly.
Add the dried fruit.
Simmer on a very low flame, on a flame tamer if possible, stirring frequently for a minimum of 30-40 minutes. Add more water, if it is getting too thick.
Remove vanilla bean, cinnamon stick, ginger slices, orange peel before serving.
Serve with almond milk, butter, and choice of brown sugar, maple or agave syrup.